


The Unwanteds: Alternate Ending

by hufflepuffingdemigod



Category: The Unwanteds Series - Lisa McMann
Genre: Canon Relationships, F/F, F/M, Fix It Fic, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, a little alexheed, all good things!, and (remaining) disabled characters won't be sidelined, and alive alex, and better lgbtq+ rep, and giving y'all alexheed, and less annoying twins, and more og twins, and that's a big nope for me, and this is also an excuse for quests not to happen, because they absolutely liked each other, except i will probably confirm alexheed crushes, it's just that his injury literally triggered the entire quests series, okay so full disclosure i can't stand to see alex suffering, or his hope, or his life, so basically this fic is an excuse for alex not to lose his arm, so im basically undoing quests, so just so everyone knows it's not meant to be ableist, with actual lgbtq+ kisses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28694949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuffingdemigod/pseuds/hufflepuffingdemigod
Summary: basically a fix-it fic where alex doesn't get injured in the final battle, and hopefully eagala will die. or something. (if she dies, does the land of the dragons still get taken over by like the king or something? or does it just stay the free land of the dragons, belonging to the dragons? because if so, then i just basically made quests irrelevant. woah.)i don't exactly know where i'm going with this, though i have a pretty good idea. i just wrote it because i can't stand to see alex suffer/die and this is an excuse to cure my post-quests depression. basically, i am undoing quests.anyway, enjoy. read tags too, please!
Relationships: Alex Stowe/Sky, Kaylee Jones/Aaron Stowe, Samheed Burkesh/Alex Stowe, Samheed Burkesh/Lani Haluki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	The Unwanteds: Alternate Ending

"Okay, Spike," Alex sighed wearily. He climbed down the side of the pirate ship which Ol' Tater had been stomping around and dropped to Spike's back, feeling like he just wanted to lie down and take a nap. But he stayed stoic, wanting to get as much taken care of as he could before nightfall. "We've got to get Captain Ahab and his head from our ship so Ms. Octavia can put him back together. Then we're . . . done." He couldn't wait for that to be true.

Spike traveled the short distance to the patchwork ship, weaving around the bevy of empty boats that floated untethered in the sea.

Just as Alex was reaching for the rope to climb aboard, Spike's eyes widened.

"Stop, the Alex!"

Alex froze. Without turning from the ship, without moving a muscle, he asked, "What is it, Spike?"

"Something seems strange here."

"Something strange?" Alex almost laughed. "Do you really think so?" He looked around at the twenty-four foreign ships in the water, the Island of Legends sitting off the coast of Artimé, and six water dragons not far from that. Nah. Not strange at all.

"Something is not right," Spike said.

Alex frowned. "Something new, you mean?"

"Yes."

Alex groaned. "Okay, let me climb up, grab the head, and we'll go figure it out."

"No! The Alex, you must come right now!" said Spike, her voice panicky.

Alex's eyes widened at her tone, and he abandoned any arguments. Spike was intuitive and intelligent, and she would always be right. It would be foolish not to listen to her- Ahab wasn't in any danger. He, Alex, was.

He sat down on her back quickly, stepping away from the rope and Ahab. He could grab the captain later.

"What is it, Spike?"

"There is something bad on board. Bad humans."

Alex felt like screaming and ripping out his hair. He settled instead on shutting his eyes tightly and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers and thumb. After a moment passed, he opened his eyes again and shook his head. "Should we do a fly-over with Simber, you think?" he asked wearily.

"That would be very good, the Alex.

"Alright," Alex sighed. Why couldn't this nightmare just be over? He shook his head. "We'll go get him. He's collecting the pirates' bodies from all over Quill."

Spike swam as fast as she could, an astonishing clip, and dropped Alex as near to the shore as she dared. Alex swam, then ran to the beach. "Simber!" he called. "SIMBER!"

"What is wrrrong, Alex?" Simber roared from some distance away.

"Come here, please!"

Simber raced at breakneck speed across Quill's new and improved landscape, to the spot on the lawn where Alex stood.

"What is it?" he growled, his stony face and gruff voice concerned.

"Spike says there's something strange onboard our ship."

"Of courrrse there is," Simber grumbled. "Did she specify what sorrrt of strrrange?"

"Yes, actually. Bad humans."

"It figurrres. You want to do a fly-overrr?"

"Yes, please." Alex went to climb up onto Simber's back, but Simber stepped away, growling at Alex incredulously.

"What do you think you'rrre doing, Alex?"

Alex stared at him, puzzled. "A fly-over?"

"Not by yourrrself! Funny thing it would be if the day we fight ourrr last battle is the day ourrr head mage is killed! Severrral 'bad humans' arrre on boarrrd this ship, and I can't help you with magic, norrr with getting in tight spaces. You must use yourrr head, Alex! Think! We need anotherrr spell-casterrr!"

Simber shook his head, disgusted with the boy's lack of foresight.

Alex's face grew hot, and he felt defensive. He opened his mouth to protest- protest what, exactly, he wasn't sure. Then he swallowed. "You're right, Simber. Of course you're right. I- I wasn't thinking."

Simber's expression softened. Alex had lost so much, and been through so much, in the last few short years. He just wanted to get it over with. But Simber would not stand by and watch as Alex rushed through this final confrontation, and in doing so ruined his chance to finally lead in a time of hard-earned peace.

"Alex, I rrrealize this is difficult, and I rrrealize you want to be done with it. But we can not botch this up! Not when we arrre so close to the end! Do you underrrstand me?"

Alex nodded miserably, his expression crumbling. "Loud and clear."

"I am with you," Simber said gently. "'Till the end of the end."

Alex's eyes widened, and his face cracked with emotion. He sniffed. "Same t'you, Sim."

"Alrrright," Simber growled, though his voice was warm with affection, and Alex knew the gruffness was just because he cared. "Enough of that. Who shall we brrring?"

Alex ran through a brief list of his most powerful spell-casters. Henry and Carina were needed in the hospital ward, Lani was in the hospital ward, and Samheed was . . . also in the hospital ward. Alex frowned. Then his face cleared- Sam wasn't injured, he was watching over Lani.

"I'll take Samheed. Lani hasn't woken up yet, but I don't . . . I don't think she's dying." Alex swallowed, refusing to let himself break down- would he lose another friend today? Or tomorrow? Would she never wake up? He couldn't bear to think of it. And he didn't want to take Samheed away from Lani, not if it may be his last time to be with her.

He glanced at Simber, who nodded grimly. "I think that is an excellent idea. Go get him quickly."

Alex nodded, then raced to the hospital ward, feeling nauseous at all the wounded Artiméans, real live people with families and friends, people they loved. He tore past beds until he saw his two remaining best friends. Samheed was staring at Lani's face, which was uncharacteristically blank. She was always so animated, eyes twinkling mischievously, lips curled in a smirk, that Alex couldn't take it, seeing her like this. So still. Her olive skin so pale.

He cleared his throat and nudged his friend. "Sam."

Samheed looked up, eyes wild and haunted. "What?" His voice was a raspy whisper. Alex's heart ached.

"I need you to come with me. Simber and I need to do a fly-over, and you're the only good spell-caster I've got who isn't-" Alex's voice broke.

Samheed nodded once, jerkily, and glanced back at Lani, his face turbulent. Alex put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She'll be okay," he said. Trying so hard to believe it.

Samheed stood, nudging Alex's hand off, with one last glance at Lani. Then he fixed Alex with a determined look. "Let's do this," he said grimly.

Alex nodded. "Let's go."

They raced out of the hospital ward, down the hallways, out the front doors and past Simber and Florence's empty pedestals. As they ran, Samheed seemed to return to himself, just a little bit. "So what's going on, Al?"

"Spike said there's 'bad humans' on our boat," Alex replied, running as fast as he could.

"Of stinking course there are- GAH!" Samheed cursed as he tripped over a platyprot, but caught himself.

"Of stinking course! Of stinking course!" it chirped. Samheed glowered.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam growled, brushing himself off.

They reached Simber and paused for a second, out of breath. Simber considered them carefully, mind whirling.

"Do you have components?" he asked abruptly.

The two boys glanced at each other. "Um," Alex started. Simber gave a harrumph.

"I have a couple?" Samheed offered hesitantly.

"I have some . . . preserve spells," said Alex hopelessly.

There was a pause. Then, without blinking, without any warning, Simber opened his mouth and roared, "ATTENTION, ALL ARRRTIMÉANS!"

Everyone in the vicinity immediately whirled around to stare at the great stone cat.

"IF YOU HAVE ANY SPELL COMPONENTS, ANY AT ALL, PLEASE BRRRING THEM HERRRE IMMEDIATELY!"

People jumped into action, abandoning whatever they had been doing, and raced toward Samheed, Simber, and their mage.

Soon there was a modest pile of components at their feet- some useless, like pink-hair or preserve spells, but many were functional, essential components, such as scatterclips. As the loyal Artiméans dropped their components on the lawn, they raised their eyes to look right into Alex's, and rested their fists on their chests. I am with you.

Alex's eyes prickled. He determinedly didn't look at Samheed or Simber, but returned the gesture each time, not quite trusting himself to talk.

Simber nodded when the last spell components were offered up. "Divide them quickly, and let's go."

Tossing the impractical components, Alex and Samheed quickly poured the rest into the pockets of their vests, and mounted Simber's back. With a loping run and a smooth jump, Simber leapt into the air and soared toward the ship.

He landed on the beach. "Arrre you both rrready?"

"Um, what's the plan, Al?" Samheed muttered. Simber's ears pricked, and he grumbled softly.

"You don't have a plan?"

Alex's face reddened. "We didn't get there yet," he explained.

"How about-" Samheed started. He frowned. "Never mind. It's stupid."

Alex turned to look at his trusted friend. "We could use any idea right now, Sam."

"Okay." Samheed hesitated. "What if we painted ourselves invisible, went on board, and looked for the people?"

Alex paused. "That's-"

"I know the paintbrush wears off, and it's unreliable. I told you it was a bad idea," Samheed interrupted hurriedly.

"Actually," Alex said, looking very deliberately at Sam. "It's a good plan. We have enough paintbrushes to refresh it if we notice it wearing off. The only thing is, I don't want us to lose each other once we're invisible. And we want to be able to be rescued- Simber needs to be able to see us. How about we leave a hand visible, or something?"

"That will not be necessarrry," Simber said. "I can hearrr wherrre you arrre. Just shout, and I will pick you up."

Samheed nodded, impressed. "That doesn't help us, though," he said thoughtfully. "We don't have your incredible ears, Simber."

Simber huffed, growing impatient. "Just hold hands orrr something! It doesn't matterrr!"

Alex flushed, though he wasn't sure why. "Okay, okay," he muttered. "Jeez."

Samheed's ears were pink.

Simber rolled his eyes. "Anything else?"

The two friends shook their heads. Alex met Samheed's eyes, reached out, and gripped his hand, squeezing tightly once. "Let's end this," he said. Samheed nodded, and Alex released his hand, grabbing a paintbrush from a pocket. Samheed did the same, and a moment later the three of them were swooping down over the ship, Alex and Samheed completely invisible.

They dropped lightly to the deck, gripping each other's hands and scanning the trusty patchwork ship carefully.

Their earlier embarrassment was forgotten- the ship which had been their home for so many years was now a place that they could no longer quite trust.

They didn't like it.

**Author's Note:**

> [i couldn't help sticking a little subtle (or maybe not so subtle) alexheed in here]
> 
> y'all this au might update slow bc i have a lot of other fics on my plate but it should be kinda fun :) 
> 
> might extend it all the way into quests, as soon as i finish reading quests lmao i should be getting the next books for christmas (i just finished curse)
> 
> anyway, ill be updating other standalone fics soon when i finish editing them, as well as the first chapter of the !!alexheed coffee shop au!! (eeeee im excited about that one!!)
> 
> anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this! more coming as soon as i start writing it lmao


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